First produce city in Nigeria inaugurated

VICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo, in Edo State, on Monday, inaugurated the ground breaking ceremony of the 136 million-dollar first Integrated Produce City (IPC) in Nigeria.

The project is sited at Ugbokun, near Okada in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo.

Represented by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the vice-president said the venture would transform the lives of thousands of people in the country.

Osinbajo said the country could not continue to measure its price and value by the quantity of crude exported.

Chairman of IPC, Professor Pat Utomi, said the project, which has Edo, Delta, Kogi, Ekiti, Anambra and Ondo as catchment states, would have 50 factories when completed.

He said the project would help to assist the Federal Government in transforming the economy by generating jobs and increasing commercial activities in the catchment states.

He said the proposed city would have regional wholesale produce market as agro allied industrial park, a preservation park, export hub and farm inputs as well as implement and equipment centre.

He said the project would also have a waste conversion and disposal facility as well as other modern city facilities.

Tagged the Agric Value Chain Solution Centre, the IPC chairman said the support infrastructure would include 24 hours electricity and water supply as well as residential accommodation.

Earlier, the Edo Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Joe Okojie, said the project was timely and in tandem with the Agricultural Policy of the state.

He promised that the state would provide the enabling environment for the success of the project.

The commissioner urged the management of the IPC project to keep its part of the deal by creating all jobs promised in the proposal.